Author: Gerd Leonhard
“Technology is exponential but humans are not and can do great things, but it does not WANT to do great things – it does not want anything” says Apple’s CEO Tim Cook (a quote I have often used in my talks). Technology is a tool not a purpose – see my ‘carpenter and the hammer example’ (video). “Both […]
“Technology is exponential but humans are not and can do great things, but it does not WANT to do great things – it does not want anything” says Apple’s CEO Tim Cook (a quote I have often used in my talks). Technology is a tool not a purpose – see my ‘carpenter and the hammer example’ (video).
“Both biotech and AI are dual-use technologies, meaning they can be wielded for both beneficial and malign purposes. That makes them far more difficult to control than nuclear weapons, especially since some of the most extreme risks — like, say, a dangerous virus leaking out of a lab — could be accidental, not purposeful.”
Via Axios Future
A recent keynote on digital ethics
While it is very hard to define a universal set of ethics or norms and every country has different rules around data privacy and surveillance, it has become clear that we need to find ways of putting collective digital privacy rights in place. The EU sis drafting an AI regulation in which rules would set limits around the use of artificial intelligence in a range of activities, in “an attempt to regulate an emerging technology before it becomes mainstream” according to The New York Times. As I wrote in chapter 2 of my book “Technology vs Humanity” “Technology has no ethics, and therefore its imminent entry into our most private lives and biological processes must be negotiated as a top civic and corporate priority”.
“Digital Ethics is really about this issue of keeping humanity alive and not putting the machines inside absolutely everything”
In this Tedx Talk back in 2014 (!), I point out the fact that “The power of technology had already surpassed the scope of our ethics”… That was back then but look at it now… I think technology is now on the verge of becoming unlimitedly powerful, especially after the Covid-19 crisis that served to accelerate their uses and applications of digital technologies in response. We are entering very an era in which it’s no longer merely “data is the new oil” but ‘data is the new plutonium’.
Contact Us at WeSpeak Global and follow us on Twitter
Video
The articles, video and images embedded on these pages are from various speakers and talent.
These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.
The Status Quo of Crisis Preparedness Puts You at a Disadvantage—and It’s Time For That To Change. Over the last couple of years, I’ve found myself increasingly frustrated with my industry, the crisis management profession. To put my frustration simply, the status quo of crisis preparedness and crisis management no longer suffices and, as a […]
Easter is obviously when Christians celebrate a miracle that is central to our faith and The Importance of Belief. We are also in the seasons of Ramadan and Passover. Although my work here is never intended to be about any particular set of spiritual beliefs, it struck me when thinking about these observances that […]
We are all spending a lot of time inside our homes. How much do you REALLY need? For those whose homes are a disorganized clutter zone, this could be stressful and result in more anxiety than isolating already brings to the table. If you are constantly tripping over stuff on the floor, and having to […]
If SA is to live, its leaders must stop feasting on dead ideas and There are several reasons why Venezuelan polymath Moises Naim claims the attention of posterity. He served as the minister of trade and industry in his homeland when that country was the richest in South America. Afterward, he edited prestigious journal Foreign […]
The Silicon Valley Unicorn craze is slowly fading, and in the dawn of the fourth industrial revolution, all eyes are riveting to startup in Africa, India, and South America as the new battlegrounds, yet people have no real understanding of the challenges faced by homegrown startups in these regions, trying to innovate in harsh environments, […]
Did you hear the fascinating story of The Profitability of Integrity about the French mountaineer who found a box of precious gems and decided to do something most wouldn’t do? Read on! ~ Can you make money from your Integrity? I stand firm in the belief that people do business with those they TRUST, can […]
Life has suddenly become potentially very thorny. The goal posts have shifted completely and now the Necessity is the mother of reinvention. The COVID-19 pandemic has thrust us all into a strange new world. The rules of engagement have been turned completely upside down. There is no more ‘normal’. We don’t even know where or […]
Four Reasons Why Employees Manage their Personal Brands daily? It’s simple, really. They get the concept that every time someone has contact with you at work, outside of work, or on social media, one of two things happen: your Personal Brand is either strengthened or weakened by what you say or don’t say, and by […]
Our Mission
© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME
